53% Of Malaysian Farmers In Testing Show Nerve Damage From Pesticides

[hatrack]

Tests done by the Health Ministry on a group of farmers showed that 53 per cent of them showed some signs of nerve disorder.

Dr Sirajuddin Hashim, principal assistant director of the ministry’s occupational health unit, said 85 of the 161 farmers tested last week had symptoms which could be linked to exposure to chemicals contained in pesticides.

However more tests were needed to verify this. Dr Sirajuddin was speaking to reporters after attending a seminar for farmers. He said while the level of cholinesterase — a type of enzyme — in their blood was found to be normal, the farmers could have developed the symptoms due to prolonged exposure to the chemicals.

Most of those tested have been using the chemicals three or four times a week for more than 10 years. He said these tests would be used to monitor cholinesterase levels for farmers in the highlands.
A change of about 50 per cent in the level was considered abnormal. Cholinesterase is one of the enzymes needed for the proper functioning of the nervous system. Certain pesticides work by inhibiting it to kill pests.

EDIT

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/National/20051201074613/Article/indexb_html

[omshanti]

1. oh my goodness! and I grew up eating the stuff.

Yikes.

[fed-up]

2. If people started buying organic the poor farmers wouldn't get sick n/t